Happy Birthday Jesus!
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Introduction
Introduction
The word Christmas in English is a evolved word from Christ’s Mass because in past times and in older traditions a special mass worship service was conducted on Dec 25. In France its know as Noel; in Spain its Navidid, and in Italy is Natale. All these words simply mean birthday.
That’s the simplicity of what Christmas is - a birthday. However, the person, circumstances, and meaning behind it is far beyond simple, its so profound it changed the world forever!
The Bible does not give us the exact date of when Jesus was born. Theologians and historians sometimes debate what season his birth actually occured in, but it doesn't matter.
We don't worship a date on the calendar or a season, we worship and celebrate the incarnation of the Son of God Jesus Christ.
We celebrate Jesus birthday! a few things should be understood about this event, for starters. . .
What was the world like when Jesus was born?
What was the world like when Jesus was born?
Let’s read ,
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[a]
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
Right of the bat some of you may be asking why is Ron reading that part? Why emphasize the dark part?
The more important question we all should ask is why is this information included in the most beautiful story ever told?
Last week I told you the we celebrate Christmas in a beautiful way be cause the story of Christmas is itself a beautiful thing.
That remains true however its only beautiful because of the ugly truth behind why it had to happen. The world Jesus was born into is in most ways the same as today.
It was a world filled with greed, selfishness, violence, and all kinds of debauchery. It was a world where genocide and infanticide took place without any real resistance and its a world full of injustice. Sounds familiar?
What Kind of world did Jesus come into, our world; a world filled with his creation that needs redemption!
Jesus didn't enter in to a fairy tale [expand], he entered into reality. When it comes to The gospel story from the birth to ascension it must be understood God came down to save us from the wreck of a world we created through our sin.
So let us always ground the Christmas story in reality and not fantasy. Next we should always ask. . .
Why was Jesus born?
Why was Jesus born?
If you been paying attention this month, this should be an easy one right?
Lets read ,
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
Jesus said it himself, He was “born and came into the world to testify to the truth.”
What is that Truth? Jesus said that truth will set us free (), and that he is the embodiment of that truth (14:6), and that he seeks followers who worship in spirit and in truth (4:25).
Its the truth of the Gospel itself. The Son of God came down in the flesh to identify with us, to preach to us, to suffer for us, to die for us and to rise up and be an advocate for us!
Jesus came to offer up the gifts of forgiveness, comfort, peace, and eternal life. He came to glorify the father and save us from our sins. We need to be careful though that we don't lose sights on the simple meaning of Jesus birth.
One story goes that a television interviewer was walking streets of Tokyo at Christmas time and just like in much of America Christmas shopping is a big commercial success in Japan. The interviewer stopped one young woman on the sidewalk, and asked, “What is the meaning of Christmas?”
Laughing, she responded, “I don’t know. Is that the day that Jesus died?”
There was some truth in her answer. In one since the world and some Christians let materialism blind us to the truth meaning of the season. However in another since she right in that Jesus was born to eventually died in our place on the cross. That’s the significance of the birth - the beginning of Jesus mission to save us!
There was some truth in her answer. In one since the world and some Christians let materialism blind us to the truth meaning of the season. However in another since she right in that Jesus was born to eventually died in our place on the cross. That’s the significance of the birth - the beginning of Jesus mission to save us!
What does celebrating Jesus birthday mean for us now?
What does celebrating Jesus birthday mean for us now?
The answer is when by faith we obey the gospel we receive all the spiritual blessings we just mention. Because of that we have nothing left to do but live in a state of constant joy!
When I celebrate Jesus i find Joy in receiving God’s Deliverance through Jesus.
Why should I find constant Joy in my life? Because God so desired to save us and reconnect our relationship with him that He sent Jesus to be born and die for us. Because of Jesus and when I trust in the person and work of Jesus, I no longer am a slave to fear of what will happen to me because I know that I have been redeemed and saved from my sins. That’s something to celebrate.
When i celebrate Jesus I find Joy in knowing God’s love for us
This world does not stop trying to beat us and kick while we are down when we become Christians, in fact Satan makes sure it only gets harder. Every day we face sickness, depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness. It’s a fair question for anyone to ask, how can you find joy living in this world? Listen to what an ancient person said on this matter.
This third-century man was anticipating death, and he penned these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them."
We have overcome the world, because Christ overcame it and everything that come with it! That means even though we struggle as human beings, Christ has overcome that guilt, that depression, that pain, that anxiety. So, You can too!
When I celebrate Jesus I find Joy in trusting God’s power in our lives
Dr. Jack Cottrell defines Joy is the inward delight and jubilant that keep us excited about being Christians, about being under the blood of Christ, and about living the sanctified life. And that’s the key challenge for many Christians how do I maintain that excitement I had when I first became a Christian.
The only way to have the life long joy is living a life of trusting in the saving power of Jesus Christ. That means never, at any time should we doubt that the blood of Christ doesn’t save us or that the Holy Spirit doesn’t renew our souls. The key is trusting assuredly what God’s power is capable of. When we celebrate the birth and remember the death and resurrection we have a strong foundation to trust God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Christmas is simple by definition - its a birthday. Christmas is holy in its honoree, and its powerful in its significance!
We don’t worship a season or a date, and we don't celebrate a great person - we celebrate God himself who took on flesh to save us and bring all glory to the father!
Jesus was born into a real world with real problems - and came to testify to the truth. That truth - The story of Jesus and Gospel message is the core of both Christmas and our faith overall, so let celebrate jesus birthday in Spirit an din truth, lets find joy in all the blessings that that brings!
Ill conclude with a Christmas poem by Joseph Bayly,
Praise Him for the incarnation,
for the word made flesh.
I will not sing of shepherds
watching flocks on frosty nights,
or angel choristers.
I will not sing of a stable bare in Bethlehem,
or lowing oxen,
wise men trailing star with gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.
Tonight I will sing praise to the Father
who stood on heaven's threshold
and said farewell to his Son
as he stepped across the stars
to Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
And I will sing praise to the infinite, eternal Son,
who became most finite, a baby
who would one day be executed for my crime.
Praise him in the heavens,
Praise him in the stable,
Praise him in my heart.